This pandemic is a totally scary, unprecedented time in all aspects of our lives, including finances. Businesses are closing their doors, employees are getting furloughed or laid off, the stock market is plunging (or so I am told by my dad)—if we weren’t worried about our finances before, we certainly are now. During this heightened time of stress, many are struggling to figure out what they can do to ensure financial security. Our advice? Don’t check your 401(k) for a while… it’s only going to make you freak out even more. And to help put your mind at ease and give you tips on actions you can take to protect yourself, we spoke to Ken Lin, CEO of Credit Karma, about what you should be doing, and the types of mistakes to avoid.
1. Know Your Options
The situation we’re in is a weird one that no one saw coming (well, except the world leaders who were warned about it and tried to ignore the problem, thinking it would go away, but that’s neither here nor there). An important thing to keep in mind is that banks realize we’re in a f*cked up situation right now and may offer you a new plan in response to what’s happening. Lin advises to take matters into your own hands and “call your credit card issuer, as they may offer a hardship plan, which sometimes offer lower interest rates, smaller minimum payments and/or lower penalties.” I’m sure the last thing you want to do now is get on the phone and wait on hold, but you have the time, and it could help you a lot, so just do it.
2. Pay The Minimum Amount Due If You Can
If you aren’t getting paid your usual salary, your hours have been cut, or you’ve been laid off or furloughed, you may be freaking out about paying your credit card bill in the next few months. While it’s usually best to pay in full each month, Lin says, “during times of stretched income, try and pay just the minimum payment to help you avoid late fees or dings to your credit.” The good news is that issuers typically won’t report the late payment until it’s 30 days past due, so you may have a bit of wiggle room. Lin explains, “If you can make your payment before the 30-day mark, you may not have to worry about the late payment being added to your report.” So if you can afford to make that minimum payment, even if it’s a couple of days late, it can save you stress and may not incur late fees, but just make sure you double-check your credit card details.
3. Don’t Default To Swiping Your Credit Card
I don’t know who needs to hear this but STOP online shopping during quarantine… oh wait that’s me
— Linsey Meister (@linseyx5) March 25, 2020
You may want to make purchases on your credit card in order to make ends meet, but there might be better options out there. Lin advises, “If you’re looking for an alternative, often times personal loans will have lower interest rates than credit cards.” He also offers that before you swipe or open up an additional line of credit, you take note of the interest rate on your credit card and make sure you’re not accruing additional interest and fees.
4. Think Twice Before Taking Out A Payday Loan
Before you borrow any money, take a nice hard look at the fine print. Lin cautions, “Payday lenders tend to prey on those in desperate circumstances like these, and these loans can be the beginning of a long cycle of debt.” He advises holding off on these types of loans, as “a payday loan may carry unfavorable terms, including high fees and interest rates.” The best thing to do, he says, would be to look into other options available to you, such as emergency or personal loans.
We’re all feeling all kinds of emotions right now, but it’s important you take care of yourself, and part of taking care of yourself is making sure your finances are in check. Trust me, everyone is in the same boat. When in doubt, look into your options and talk to someone on the phone. There may be solutions there you haven’t thought were possible.
Images: Sharon McCutcheon / Unsplash; @linseyx5/Twitter
It’s easy to get caught in the marketing traps of credit card companies, especially for first-time owners. Alexa von Tobel is the founder and HBIC of LearnVest, the Chief Innovation Officer at Northwestern Mutual, and the New York Times bestselling author of Financially Fearless and she’s here to help all you fiscally confused betches out there. We asked her what credit card you should consider getting based on your spending habits and lifestyle. Read on for Alexa’s advice, and for more career and adulting advice, pre-order our third book, When’s Happy Hour?
I always advise people to identify their priorities before choosing what credit card is right for them. First, think about your goal: Do you want cash back? Do you travel a lot on one airline? Do you want to use points for a trip you wouldn’t normally pay for? All of these are important since you don’t want to change your spending habits once you get a new card. Here are a few to get you started:
If You Want To Get Cash Back Without Thinking: Citi Double Cash
Other cards get more back in certain categories, but this is the most no-thinking-involved card out there. The Citi Double Cash earns 2% cash back on all purchases. Think of it like getting a 2% discount on everything you buy. You simply redeem for statement credits and don’t have to think any further than that. Two cents per point is really the benchmark for all other cards. If you’re not getting that much back on your redemption (divide the dollar value by the number of points you redeem), you’re better off just using the Citi Double Cash.
If You Cook At Home And Drive Everywhere: American Express Blue Cash Preferred
This card gets you 6% cash back on up to $6,000 spent at grocery stores; after that, it’s just 1%. It also gets 3% at gas stations and select department stores. Shop anywhere from Kohl’s to Neiman Marcus with no set limit. Those big cash-back percentages don’t apply at Wal-Mart, Target or discount clubs, but if you spend more than $1,500 on groceries in a year, the card already pays for its own $95 annual fee. That’s not even considering the unlimited 3% back or the great extended warranty benefits of an AmEx.
You Spend All Your Money On Dining Out And Travel: Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Sapphire Reserve’s $450 annual fee sounds steep, but it quickly pays for itself. First, you get a $300 credit every year toward travel. So if you book plane tickets or hotels, that effectively cuts the fee to $150. You also get a $100 Global Entry/TSA Precheck credit that’s good for five years, as well as lounge access with unlimited guests. Every time you fly, instead of waiting in lines and eating at Cinnabon, you’ll zip through security and sip on an adult beverage for free.
The real kicker comes through the Sapphire Reserve’s point accrual and partner transfers. You can earn three times the points on dining and travel (that includes taxis). While Chase offers a 50% bonus to redeem points for travel through its travel portal, you could instead transfer out to airline partners like Singapore Airlines. You’ll be flying in a private suite to Asia for just 120,000 points. With a 50,000-point signup bonus, you’ll get there pretty quick. Once you’re there, there’s no foreign transaction fee either, which will likely save you a bundle.
You Love Planning And “Deals”: Discover It Card Or Chase Freedom
Both of these no-fee cards offer rotating quarterly categories where you earn 5% back. For example, Discover it Card earns 5% back at restaurants from July through September when you’re enjoying the height of summer, then another 5% on Amazon and Target purchases from October through December when you’re stocking up for the holidays. Plan wisely, and you cash in—without having to pay a dime for the trouble.
You Need To Tackle Your Current Credit Card Debt: Chase Slate
Maybe you went a little too crazy on gifts last Christmas, or you ended up spending a lot more on that vacation to Santorini than you’d planned. It happens. Rather than staying in that hole, transfer your high-interest debt to the Chase Slate card, with a $0 transfer fee and 0% APR for the first 15 months on your balance transfers and purchases. Stay after it, and you could be debt-free in no time.
A final thing to consider: If you fly a lot with one airline, consider getting that airline’s credit card. For example, having one of American Airlines’ co-branded cards will let you check a bag for free—that’s normally $25 each way, so the savings can really pile up.
For more advice on credit cards, adulting, and career, pre-order our third book, When’s Happy Hour?, out October 23!
Images: Hanson Lu / Unsplash
Once you’ve been weaned off The Bank of Daddy and are forced to deal with your own finances, sh*t can get pretty scary. There’s more to that plastic card than just swiping, so we enlisted Alexa von Tobel, the founder and CEO of LearnVest and the Chief Innovation Officer at Northwestern Mutual, for some serious help. Alexa is also The New York Times bestselling author of Financially Fearless, so clearly she knows what she’s talking about. Here, we asked her all about credit—how to build it, how to ruin it, and why you need it. And for more career and adulting advice, pre-order our third book, When’s Happy Hour, here!
How do you get credit?
Building your credit isn’t complicated, but it takes time, discipline, and a bit of knowledge. First, you’ll need to apply for a credit card. If you don’t have at least a passable credit history, actually getting a traditional (aka: unsecured) credit card in your name can be surprisingly difficult. So if you can’t get approved for an unsecured card, consider signing up for a secured credit card.
Next, start building your credit. There is a myth that using more of your available credit translates to a higher credit score. The opposite is actually true. In reality, lenders worry that you’re in over your head financially when you spend a big chunk of your credit line. To help assess this, they’ll look at your credit utilization ratio. This is the percentage of your total credit limit that your current balance represents. For instance, if all your cards give you access to $20,000 of credit, and your current balance is $5,000, you’ve got a credit utilization ratio of 25%.
The most important thing to remember when building your credit is to get serious about due dates. I recommend that people request recurring transfers or autopay via your bank. Make sure though that you’re setting an amount that is doable for your budget. Creating calendar events on your phone so you receive alerts before each bill’s due date is also a great method.
What ruins your credit?
Not making payments on time is the biggest factor that affects your credit score. It’s important to realize that it’s not just lenders that report to credit bureaus. Things like medical debt and missed utility payments can also ding your credit report.
The second-largest factor that can hurt your credit score is the amount you owe across your credit accounts. The biggest influences on this calculation are either your credit utilization ratio or the percentage of your available credit that you’re actually using. So, making sure your balances don’t balloon can go a long way toward helping maintain a good credit rating.
I also advise people to refrain from opening too many credit lines at once. This triggers a “hard inquiry” on your credit report. But closing credit accounts you already have could impact your length of credit history negatively. Even if you don’t use a card often, keep it open and charge something small on it every once in a while.
What do you need good credit for?
You need good credit for almost everything! Having good credit sets you up for success when you need to apply for a loan or line of credit. Your credit can help determine whether you can even get a mortgage or car loan in the first place. Plus, you could even miss out on a perfect apartment rental or job opportunity—both landlords and employers have been known to check out an applicant’s credit history. Having no credit at all or bad credit means that you either won’t be approved by future lenders or may have to deal with some unfavorable lending terms, like paying higher interest rates.
What’s a good number of credit cards to have?
There’s no magic number for how many credit cards a person should have. It all depends on what type of person you are. Responsible users may benefit from having multiple cards. If you pay off your balance in full each month, it can be a good strategy for a few different reasons. You can reap more rewards and boost your credit score. If you’re self-employed or a freelancer, it can help with easier bookkeeping because you could keep your work and personal expenses separate.
Despite the potential benefits of having multiple credit cards, there are drawbacks. And the stakes are high: If you destroy your credit score by, for instance, consistently missing payments on multiple cards, it could take years to rebuild that number. Plus, carrying a greater number of cards means the potential for racking up a greater amount of debt overall.
Bottom line: don’t open more credit cards that you can manage. Be honest with yourself about your spending habits and responsibility.
Should I just have a regular credit card with a bank or is my retail card helping me with credit?
I would recommend having a regular credit card with your bank or choosing one of the cards I mentioned. This depends on your spending priorities and goals. Retail store credit cards that people open at the register because they get 10% off their purchase right on the spot, can hurt your finances.
This is because retail cards tend to have higher interest rates than regular credit cards. They also tend to have lower credit limits. So if you spend a lot on a retail card, it could look like you’re close to maxing out your limit. This could hurt your credit utilization ratio, and thus, your credit score. Also, their “special offers” (like getting 10% off on the spot) could end up costing you. Retail stores are known to dangle deferred-interest offers in front of consumers without properly explaining what that means. In a nutshell: You don’t pay interest on your purchases for an introductory period. But, if you have any outstanding balance left at the end of that period—no matter how small—you’ll be back-charged. That would be interest on all the purchases you made in that time frame.
For more career and general adult life advice, pre-order our third book, When’s Happy Hour? and stay on the lookout for our new podcast, When’s Happy Hour!
I first realized I needed to improve my credit score when trying to take advantage of the 20% off discount I could get by opening a GAP credit card. I thought “sure, I want these jeans and I would like them to be cheaper.” Turns out credit cards don’t totally work that way, because you can only get a credit card if you have a credit history, and you can only have a credit history if you get a credit card (among other ways, but that’s the easiest). It’s kind of like how you need job experience to get a job, but nobody will hire you without experience. For the record, at age 19 I had no credit history and no chance of getting a discount on those jeans.
I’ve come a long way since then, and I have learned quite a bit on my journey from credit-less to Credit Karma user to about-to-get-some-free-shit-from-magical-rewards-points. First of which being: don’t waste a credit check on a pair of mediocre jeans from the GAP. I’m not saying I’m an expert, and this is Betches not like, the Financial Times, but I do hope that I can share some relatable wisdom for those of you that don’t know what a credit score is, still use your parents’ credit card, or didn’t realize you can literally get paid to shop (see cash back card below). Because building credit and then deciding which cards to get once you’ve built that shit is harder than finding a quality photo of Kylie Jenner’s baby bump.
Step 1: Build Some Credit
It’s hard af to get your first credit card (see GAP story above), but it’s not impossible. Unfortunately, most starter credit cards require a deposit, will have a low credit limit, and will give you absolutely no rewards. But life is rough and we all gotta start somewhere. So if you are a total credit newbie, or have to crawl yourself back up from a shitty credit score due to overdue student loans, here are some decent options:
Capital One Platinum Card: No annual fee, and you can get an increased credit limit if you behave (read: pay that shit on time) during your first five months.
Discover it Secured Card: This ish requires a deposit, but you can get cash back on purchases and it helps you build your credit as long as you are responsible (again, pay that shit on time).
P.S. When I say “pay that shit on time” I mean ALL that shit. None of this “minimum payment due” crap—it’s is a trap. Pay your full balance whenever it is due or you will buried in interest, debt, and shitty credit for the rest of your life.
Step 2: Get Some Rewards
Turns out the benefits of credit cards extend far beyond the ability to spend more money than you have in the bank (I am by no means encouraging this behavior—seriously, don’t do it. But it is a thing). You can get free flights, hotel rooms, and free money (sorta) just by buying things with your credit card and paying it back on time. So once you have built up some credit, you should throw your debit card away, shred your cash, and get in on one of the rewards cards below, because it’s basically like getting paid for your responsible shopping habit.
Straight-Up Cash Back Rewards
Chase Freedom: You get $150 cash back when you spend $500 in the first three months. It’s basically like a buy 2 get 1 free situation.
Bank of America Cash Rewards: This card has no annual fees, you get 1% cash back on all purchases plus 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs and 3% on gas for your first $2,500 in purchases each quarter. And if you deposit your cash back into a Bank of America account, you get a 10% bonus. That’s right—literally free money.
Travel Rewards
Chase Sapphire Preferred: Get 50,000 points to redeem on travel when you spend $4,000 in the first three months. So like, buy an expensive plane ticket, and then get some points to help make your next plane ticket less expensive.
Airline Specific Cards: If you fly the same airline on a regular basis, you should probably be working those mileage points. Southwest, Alaska, and United all have credit card options, and if you have United’s rewards credit card, maybe they will let you keep your dog alive.
Amex Starwood Preferred Guest: Earn enough points and you can get free nights at fancy-ass Starwood hotels (The W, St. Regis, etc.). Plus, this one is a pretty purple color and I always felt like having an American Express card means you made it in life.
Step 3: Swipe Responsibly
Whatever card you end up getting, even if it’s not one of the above credit cards, fucking pay your bill on time. Because none of the rewards from credit cards are worth it once you start getting charged interest. Set up auto pays, write it in your calendar, do whatever you need to do to pay off your balance IN FULL each month. And remember that every time you apply for a card, your credit score takes a hit (it’s a vicious cycle, I know. Life, again, is unfair). So please don’t go apply for every card on this last and say Betches told you to, because we sure as hell didn’t (and the credit bureaus aren’t gonna care).
Images: Giphy (3)
